One Simple Trick for Keeping Your Cool When the Classroom Gets Crazy

If you’ve been in the classroom longer than a week, you already know: things don’t always go as planned. The beautifully written lesson plan? Out the window when the projector bulb burns out. The quiet, focused group work? Suddenly a debate over who’s holding the green marker. And just when you think you’ve got it under control—fire drill.

It’s easy to feel your stress rising in those moments. But here’s one tip that has saved me again and again:

Lower your voice—don’t raise it.

It sounds almost too simple, but it works. When the room gets noisy or chaotic, our instinct is often to speak louder to get attention. Instead, try dropping your voice down. Walk slowly to the part of the room that’s most unsettled, and speak in a calm, quiet tone.

Why it works:

• Students notice the change and automatically adjust to hear you.

• You model the calm you want to see from them.

• You regain control without adding more noise to an already noisy situation.

I’ve even had students whisper to each other: “Shhh, she’s talking quietly!” They’ll often help bring the rest of the class back to focus for you.

It doesn’t mean you’ll never raise your voice—but making your default response a calm, steady tone can change the whole classroom atmosphere. It keeps you centered, and it sends the message: We can handle this.

So the next time your room feels like a three-ring circus, remember: you don’t need a megaphone—you just need a whisper.